Packing device



, G. A. OAKES PACKING DEVICE Sept. 18, 1956 Filed Deo. 19, 1952 INVENTOR. GRHNT H. Olmes United States Patent O PACKING DEVICE Grant A. Oakes, Cortland, Ohio Application December 19, 1952, Serial No. 326,874

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-35) My invention relates to means for use in packing and displaying merchandise, more particularly to an attractive package which may be used to display fruits, nuts, candy and the like, and the principal object of my invention is to provide new and improved means of the character described.

In merchandising fancy fruits, nuts, candy and the like it has been customary to pack the articles in a shallow container or tray covered with a tautly stretched cellophane cover. Since the trays employed must be quite strong to withstand handling and to resist the stresses imposed by the taut cellophane cover and since it is desirable that the trays be as light as possible to reduce shipping costs, prior art trays have been Woven from rattan or the like.

Obviously these prior art trays are quite expensive and, since they are used but one time, the cost of the complete package necessarily includes the full cost of the tray. Additionally, since these prior art trays are relatively unyielding, they have a tendency to bruise certain tightly packed fruits. This often necessitates padding the interior of the tray which in turn adds even more to the cost of the package.

My invention provides a tray of novel construct-ion which has none of the objectionable features possessed by those of the prior art and which may be employed to great advantage in packing and displaying merchandise. These and other advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description and of the drawing appended thereto.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, there is shown, for

purpose of illustration, two embodiments which my in-4 vention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating a package which embodies a preferred form of my invention, and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment which my invention may assume.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1 illustrates a completed package lilled with various sizes of fruit 10. The package comprises a tray 11 which may be round, square, or of any other desired shape. As illustrated, the tray 11 is formed of a suitable metallic foil that is readily deformable and which tends to retain deformities; for example, aluminum, tin or copper foil has been found to be suitable.

The tray 11 is formed to provide a bottom wall 12, and a side wall 13, in the present embodiment, extends upwardly and outwardly of the bottom wall. The upper edges of the side walls 13 are formed to provide a bead 14, it being preferred at the present time to dispose a wire within the bead 14 for a purpose to be shown. However, it will be appreciated that the bead 14 may be so formed that it, in itself, provides for suitable stiften- 7 ing of the upper edges, or such edges may be stnfened in any other suitable manner.

Patented Sept. 18,1956

ICC

Means are provided to strengthen the bottom wall 12 of the tray 11, such means presently comprising a piece of cardboard 16 or the like which is secured by any suitable adhesive to the bottom 12 in generally co-extensive relation therewith as shown. It is to be understood that any other suitable means may be employed to strengthen the bottom 12; for example, ribs could be formed integrally with the bottom or the bottom could be made of thicker and/ or stronger material.

When the tray 11 has been filled with the desired merchandise, for example the fruit 10, a protective covering is stretched over the top of the tray. This covering may be of any suitable material, transparent or otherwise. In the present embodiment, a sheet of cellophane or the like 17 may be stretched tautly over the top of the tray and secured to the bottom of the cardboard 16 by any means found suitable (both adhesives and adhesive tapes have been satisfactorily employed for this purpose). In accordance with prior practice, the cellophane, after it is secured to the tray, may be treated so that it will be further stretched tautly over the top of the tray, thus holding the fruit or other articles packed in the tray against relative shifting. Since the side wall 13 of the tray is deformable, any abnormal pressure will be absorbed by it.

It is to be understood that the wire 15 within the bead 14 sutciently strengthens the opening of the tray so that it will not be collapsed by the tautly stretched cellophane or distorted by handling. It will also be clear that the cardboard 16 strengthens the bottom of the tray so that it too will withstand the stresses imposed by the taut cellophane and by handling.

Another embodiment of my invention is illustrated in Figure 2 wherein a tray 20 formed of metal foil is fragment-arily shown. The tray 20 is formed with a bottom 21 and sides 22 which extend upwardly therefrom. A bead 23 is formed at the upper edge of the sides 22 and this bead may be formed about a wire 24 if desired. A bead 25 is formed adjacent the point where the side 22 joins the bottom 21, and this bead may similarly enclose a wire 26.

It will be clear that the tray 20 may be employed in packing and displaying merchandise in the same manner as the tray 11. It is also to be understood that additional means may be employed to further strengthen the bottom 21, such means comprising, for example, the means disclosed heretofore with respect to Figure l.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modified, without depart-ing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described, hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

Means for enclosing and attractively displaying articles of merchandise, comprising a pan-shaped :member having a bottom and an upright peripheral side wall, said member being formed of metal foil which has the property of readily yielding to localized pressures and retaining deformities caused by such pressures, said pan-shaped member being suliciently deep to hold a quantity of articles in superposed relation, stiffening means at the upper end of said peripheral side wall to stiften the latter against peripheral deformation at said upper end, further 0 stilfening means secured to the bottom of said pan-shaped of saidarticles and extending peripherally about said side wall to firmly hold said articles against shifting within said pan-shaped member, localized pressure caused by said transparent cover pressingf against said: articles being absorbed by localized deformation of the foil m'aterial forming the. sidei wallof said pan-shaped member, the stifeningmeans at' said upper end and' at the bottom of. said pan-shaped member preventing; crushing-4 of. said member from pressure` exerted by said taut' transparent member..

Referencesv Cited inI the file ofv this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,165 Hale Mar. 21, 1882 4 Cohn Apr. 2,l 1929 Dowling Aug. 2, 1938 Hershey NOV. 29, 1938 Schlumbohm Sept. 26, 1939 Bjornson Dec. 24, 1940 Gettelman May 27, 1941 Lyon Feb. 13, 1951 Stuart June 10, 1952 Stevenson@ Jan. 27, 1953 

